Gen Z is the term for the generation after millennials. Also known as iGen or centennials, people in Gen Z were born between 1997-2012. This means that the oldest members of Gen Z are in their early twenties and just starting to enter the workforce. For businesses focused on continual company growth and cultivating a culture of company loyalty, understanding how to appeal to members of Gen Z is imperative to keeping your company alive.
The Importance of Attracting Gen Z to Your Business
Appealing to the youngest members of the labor force is always important to companies. After all, you need up-and-coming laborers to replace those who have been with your company for a long time and might be looking toward retirement soon.
But today’s businesses are in an even greater need of reaching out to the new generation. That’s because the Great Resignation has left businesses in the lurch, scrambling for workers to fill unprecedented workforce gaps. Reaching out to Gen Z means skipping over workers who may be burnt out or tired of doing the same job while allowing you to train the next generation of workers.
How to Attract Gen Z to Apply for Your Positions
Businesses aren’t the only ones impacted by the Great Resignation. With so many job openings, members of Gen Z are learning that they can be picky about their starter careers. As a result, companies can’t get away with offering low salaries or minimal benefits, even in entry-level positions. If you want to attract new employees, you need to be competitive about your hiring process. After all, only by having Gen Z workers in your business can you truly communicate to applicants that you’re open to their needs.
But beyond offering competitive job benefits, you also need to reach Gen Z members where they’re at. Few centennials are combing through newspaper advertisements. To attract members from this generation, your brand needs to:
- List jobs on known job boards like LinkedIn, Indeed, and Monster
- Advertise on social media
- Recruit at university job fairs
What Gen Z Workers Want & Expect from Their Employers
Members of Gen Z have different expectations of the workforce than generations that came before them. Some of the most important things for this generation—outside of pay and benefits—include:
Company Culture
This generation cares what your company stands for. From sustainability efforts to volunteering, you need to show Gen Z that yours is a company that cares about the big picture and is doing its part to help. Members of this generation want to know that what they do every day matters in some way, and they won’t put up with anything less.
Growth Opportunities
This is a generation that wants to work and — more importantly — doesn’t want to stagnate. Contrary to popular opinions, they also don’t want to float from job to job, but they’re willing to if your career doesn’t offer the growth opportunities they need. Gen Z workers need to know that they have the opportunity to climb through the ranks within your office. This might include businesses that will pay for their workers’ continuing education or offer mentorship programs to help them gain skills to be more effective in your business.
Use of Technology
Gen Z expects your company to know how to use the technology they grew up with. When evaluating your company, they won’t just be asking questions during their interviews. They’ll be checking your social media presence, examining how easy (or difficult) your online application process is, and checking what your employees say about you on sites like GlassDoor. Using an applicant tracking system, sending text follow-ups during recruiting, and responding quickly to emails are all easy ways to show centennials your brand is tech-savvy and in the know.
Stay Ahead by Adapting Your Business
The hard truth is that if you do what you’ve always done, your business is doomed to fail. The Great Resignation means it’s more important now than ever before to adapt to the needs and expectations of both present and upcoming employees, whether that means relaxing dress codes, increasing the flexibility of your hours, or improving your benefits. The more you can make your business appealing, the more likely you are to bring Gen Z workers into your office.
